Mike Strange: No bowl, so Butch Jones already building Team 118

UT head coach Butch Jones talks about positions of need on the Vols roster and the likelihood of filling those with this signing class.

Tennessee football coach Butch Jones Thursday, Dec. 19, 2013 during his first press conference since the 2013 season ended. (MICHAEL PATRICK/NEWS SENTINEL)

Butch Jones sat down behind a microphone Thursday at Neyland Stadium and did what he does best. He instilled hope.

Twenty days after Tennessee's football season ended with a third consecutive 5-7 record, Jones almost made it sound like playing in a bowl game would get in the way of the Vols' march back to being an SEC contender.

"Team 117 has come and gone,'' Jones said. "All the focus is on Team 118.''

I don't want to mislead you. Jones emphasized that going to bowl games is the only acceptable standard at Tennessee. Staying home for the holidays one year much less three in a row is a bummer.

But that said, the Vols are so busy that having Team 117 spend a few weeks getting up to speed for Georgia Tech or Rice would almost be counterproductive for Team 118.

Still, the goal for Team 118 is a bowl game.

"That temperament was set the Monday after the Kentucky game,'' Jones said.

Given a December to focus on itself, every aspect of the program is being evaluated in terms of what needs to be: A, changed; B, adjusted; and C, emphasized.

What needs to be improved? Just about everything that relates to lining up against Florida or Georgia or, yes, Vanderbilt: speed, strength and depth.

Speed and depth are being addressed through recruiting. Strength is already hands-on.

The Monday after Kentucky the no-bowl Vols were in the weight room. They were subjected to "bod pod" measurements when they left for Christmas break and will be remeasured when they return. Partake of the ham and egg nog at your own peril.

When they return in January, 14 newcomers will swell the ranks. The largest posse of mid-term enrollees in his career has Jones chomping at the bit.

"In all my years of coaching,'' he said, "and I think I speak for our entire staff, not to take away from the other teams that we've coached, this is the most excited and most looking forward to an offseason that I can remember in a very, very long time.''

Why? Bunch of reasons.

After a year at UT and getting banged around in the SEC, Jones understands the lay of the land. His returning players understand his and UT's expectations and standards.

Presumably the players can anticipate being coached by the same staff for a second year in a row. That has not been a given around Tennessee lately.

That leaves 11 early high school grads who are about to get hit in the face with the biggest adjustments of their lives. It will be like going to boot camp.

"We're going to compete in everything we do,'' Jones said. "We may even have races to the drinking fountain.''

Early enrollees are a growing phenomenon. It's a valuable head start, but no guarantee of success.

Ja'Wuan James clearly benefited in 2010 and was ready to start in his opening game eight months later. On the flip side, receiver Paul Harris enrolled early last year but never gained traction. Jones announced Thursday that Harris has been released to transfer.

Selecting which 14 to enroll early was a mix of available scholarships, who qualified and what positions had the most urgent need.

Both the offensive and defensive lines screamed urgency. Jones conceded he'd never had to replace an entire starting offensive line and most of his defensive line in one turnaround.

That alone is reason to assess Team 118's 2014 results with a wary eye. But that's a ways down the line.

This is the season for building and molding (and, of course, recruiting). A time when it's easier to be hopeful.

"The overall mindset in the building,'' Jones said, "the expectations of everyone, coaches, players and administration, everyone is optimistic and rightfully so.''